At the completion of the wafer fabrication process, wafers that pass electrical test are ready for assembly and packaging of the individual semiconductor chips. These semiconductor chips may include integrated circuit systems that find application in many of today's consumer electronic devices, such as cellphones, video cameras, portable music players, computers, etc.
Traditionally, the back-end assembly of the integrated circuit process separates each good semiconductor chip or integrated circuit system from the wafer and attaches them to a metal leadframe or substrate via an automated die bonder. The automated die bonder is a commonly employed high-speed tool that uses a special gripper, referred to as a collet, to pick up each semiconductor chip and place them on the leadframe or substrate for assembly. These die bonder tools require great flexibility to attach a multitude of chips of varying size and dimensions to a variety of applications involving various configurations and electrical contact schemes.
Unfortunately, many conventional die bonding tools suffer from loose adhesion and size mismatch between a head portion of the die bonder tool and a suction portion of the die bonder tool. This loose adhesion and size mismatch between the head portion and the suction portion can lead to failure during operation of the die bonder. Additionally, many die bonding tools exert an uneven bonding force upon their desired target (i.e.—a semiconductor chip). The uneven bonding force exerted by conventional die bonding tools can lead to chip attach failure due to the formation of a void between the chip being placed and an underlying chip or substrate. Furthermore, many die bonding tools lack the ability to seamlessly integrate semiconductor chips of various sizes because of the necessary re-tool modifications to the head portion and the suction portion to accommodate such varying sizes.
Thus, a need still remains for a die bonding tool that is reliable, prevents chip attach failure, and that can be easily reconfigured to accommodate semiconductor chips of various sizes. In view of the ever increasing commercial competitive pressures, increasing consumer expectations, and diminishing opportunities for meaningful product differentiation in the marketplace, it is increasingly critical that answers be found to these problems. Moreover, the ever-increasing need to save costs, improve efficiencies, and meet such competitive pressures adds even greater urgency to the critical necessity that answers be found to these problems.
Solutions to these problems have been long sought but prior developments have not taught or suggested any solutions and, thus, solutions to these problems have long eluded those skilled in the art.